How to Get on and off a Ski Lift

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Getting on a ski lift as a beginner can be a frightening thing with a giant chair zooming by scooping people up. But with a little practice, skills and these easy steps you will be able to get on and off a ski lift like a pro. Although this article doesn’t teach you how to actually ski, it does help you get to the slopes.

If you'll be sitting on the left, put both poles in your right hand, and look over your left shoulder. If you'll be sitting on the right, do the opposite. If you'll be sitting in the middle, do it either way.

When you reach the unload area and your skis are touching the ground completely , lean forward slightly over your skis and stand up once you have balance on both skis, the lift will give you a little push.

Glide your way off the unloading area quickly. Do not attempt to stop with a snow plough in the unload area - your skis will cross the person's next to you and you will probably both fall. Ski away from the other people, then stop if you want to.

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Choose the right trail because sometimes there are many to choose from, with different skill levels (colors).

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Community Q&A

If you are skiing with a school, there will be instructors there. One instructor typically goes first and one instructor goes last. If you fall off, the instructor will see that you've fallen off and he will get off the lift and ski back down the mountain with you. There's no way to fall off of a chairlift, except when you are getting on/off, but if you're really worried about that, tell your ski instructor and he/she will help you. They might even tell the person operating the lift to slow it down for you. Don't worry, people understand that you might be nervous and they will help you.

Be confident. Take a couple minutes to prepare before getting onto a lift. Go with a trusted friend or family member who has skied before. Remember to read all the signs on the way up, and follow all directions stated above.

Try to get out of the way of people getting off of the lifts behind you, especially if you fall. It's hard for skiers, especially snowboarders, and especially beginners to avoid someone directly in their path close to the chairlift, as the other people on their chair will be next to them.

Every once in a while your pole will slip out of your hand. You usually have to ski down and get it yourself or go back to the lodge and talk to the manger. If you don't want to go down, someone may bring it back up for you if you ask them and wait at the top for them to come back

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 22 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 63,894 times.

To get on a ski lift, bend your knees slightly, and put both poles into one hand as you look over your shoulder to keep an eye on the approaching chair. When the chair arrives, you can reach for it with your free hand, then sit once it makes contact with the backs of your knees. As you approach the top, check to make sure that nothing is caught in the lift, and point your skis up. To get off, lean forward onto your skis once they’re firmly on the ground and let the lift give you a push as you stand.